Odds and ends in blue

How long does it take to machine quilt a quilt it took 4 months to piece? Alot longer than one week, that's for sure. (It will take at least 3 weeks. I haven't even finished the stitch in the ditch.) However, I did take a little respite for my big quilt today. I am doing a machine quilting demo at Sew Much More in Austin on Saturday, so I need a sample. So, I just got out some odds and ends in blue and made one. It was so much fun to whip up something quick after the time and intensity of this big ole dresdan plate. I'll post pictures of it quilted later. So if you are in Austin, Tx on Saturday, come by and see me at Sew Much More from 2pm-4pm. I'd luv to see ya.

Forgotten camera

The corner of my brain that says to me "Hey don't forget the camera." has turned itself off. Augh! I went and taught a class last Saturday (forgot my camera). I was the guest speaker on Monday night for the Killeen guild and I forgot my camera. Last night I had another class (ladies, y'all were great) and guess what? I forgot my camera! This is getting ridiculous. I guess I have too much to remember and not enough gray matter to hold it all. Or maybe I need a glass of wine and a little peace and quiet. The good news? My husband and kids are going to West Texas for the weekend, so it is going to be just me and the dog. Yipee! I am going to turn up the music, turn on my machine and sew my brains out! Yee-haw!
However, I do have a quilt to show. The quilt above was a block exchange I did a couple of years ago and gave to my mother-in-law. She graciously let me borrow it for a couple of trunk shows I did, but it is going back to her this weekend. (Thanks Ruth, I love and appreciate you!) I'm off to sew. Happy Quilting!

Free pieced block

Spring break is over. Yeah! It was fun while it lasted but I'm glad the kids are back in school and I can get some things done. I've got to get this quilt quilted.
However, I did get a little something done this past week. I made this block for Jacqui (at Tallgrass). I just pieced it with left overs I had and it was so much FUN! The possibilities were shouting at me the whole time I was piecing this block. I am definitely coming back and doing more of these after I get my big quilt quilted.
Now I'm going to get ready tonight. I am the guest speaker for The Crossroads to Texas Quilt Guild tonight. Yipee! I am taking 30 quilts and I get to talk about my favorite subject (quilting) and they are going to pay me! Yee-haw! I'm living my dreams today! I hope there are others out there doing the same, cause this feels great! Happy Quilting!

The Dallas Quilt Show

The Dallas Quilt Show was this past weekend and a great show as always. The creativity was amazing and I took lots of pictures. I thought I'd share my favorites here today. The Best of Show is an amazing, whimsical, and very well done quilt by Kelly Monroe of Arlington, Tx. An excellent choice for BoS.
My favorite quilt was by Laurie Evans of Austin (a friend) and was coincidentally my favorite quilt at the Austin show back in September. Laurie is a genius with color and design (which makes her a double genius in my book). I love this quilt!
The other two quilts, that also made my skirt fly up, were both made by Karen K Stone. I love what she does with color also. (I think I have a theme going here.) Her quilts have lots of movement.
It was a very inspiring show and I now have fingers that are itching to sew. I think I have a little something in mind. Happy Quilting!

Pins, pins, and more pins.

How many pins does it take to pin baste a king size quilt? A boat load! It took hours and hours but it is finally pin basted and it is HEAVY. And since I love a pieced back, of course I pieced the back. What is unusual about this particular back is that I actually had some 1 yd pieces to use. I generally never buy more than 1/4 or 1/2 yd pieces of fabric. (No, I'm not cheap. I just think more is more when it comes to using different fabrics.) I would like to thank my friend Ann at the Stitching Studio in Austin, Tx (another place I teach machine quilting) for letting me come and use her tables to get this "baby" pin basted. She is very fabulous, creative, and prolific.
I'd like to say I'm starting my stitch in the ditch today, but alas, I'm getting packed up to go out of town. The kids and I are going to Dallas for spring break and as luck would have it the Dallas Quilt Show is this weekend. And since we are staying at my mother's, I am taking my machine in the hope that I will get some sewing in. (I don't know how realistic this is, but hope does spring eternal.) So I'm off to pack and if I get everything done, I might get lucky enough to get a little machine time in. Happy quilting.

The top is done!

Holy smokes, I can barely believe it. This top is finally pieced! Yipee! Everything about this quilt top took twice as long as I thought it would. Which is saying alot, considering this is not my first rodeo. I'm piecing the back today and will go pin baste it tomorrow. The picture is not great, so hopefully I'll get a better one tomorrow. But I just gotta say Yahoo and Yehaw! It is done! Now I have to think about quilting it. (I'll think about that tomorrow.) Happy quilting.

An unexpected surprise

I had the most unexpected surprise yesterday. I made a quilt for the American Heart Association in Austin in 2007 and it was published last year in QNM's Quilt It magazine. Well, yesterday I received and email from Debbie Lindgren with a link to her guild with a picture of her version of my quilt Heartways. It looks fabulous! I'm still just thrilled that she tracked me down to show me her quilt. Thank you again, Debbie. I appreciate you so much! Here is her link www.bakersfieldquiltguild.org. Go to February show and tell, the evening meeting. Thank you again,Debbie, you have definitely made my skirt fly up today. I am now going to put the border on this dresdan plate quilt and I will hopefully have pictures tomorrow (if all goes well). Happy Quilting!

Class sample

My goodness, it has been over a week since I last posted. My how time flies when your life gets a hold of you. In my defense, I have gotten my kids closets cleaned out and taken an embarrassing amount of clothes and toys to Goodwill. I have also had two sick children and one of the "germie" rascals gave it to me. Ick! However, I have managed to get a little sewing done. I made a sample for a machine quilting class I will be teaching at Sew Much More in Austin sometime in the spring. I made it with some odds and ends I had. And of course, I pieced the back because, I LOVE a pieced back on a quilt (big or small, doesn't matter.) I did the free-motion quilting with an embroidery thread and I liked how it turned out. After I bought this thread and brought it home, I realized it was made in China. If I had known that before I paid for it, I would not have bought it. However, I'm happy to say it is a very nice thread. Yeah! Because if you have ever quilted with crappy thread, you understand where I'm coming from.
I've got more sewing to do. (I've got to get this big quilt finished!) Happy quilting!